IT may seem quicker and easier to call the fire station directly if there's an emergency, but crews have warned this can actually slow down their response to get to you.
Recently, firefighters at Dubbo Fire and Rescue NSW have received a number of calls at the station to report fire emergencies.
Station Officer John Poulos said while these callers have good intentions, it's actually not the right thing to do.
"If we're out on a call we're going to miss you calling the station," he said.
"This can delay our response."
Station Officer Poulos said triple-0 call takers have mapping systems so that they can send out the nearest and most appropriate fire truck to your emergency.
A few days ago someone called the station to report a fire in bushland, without knowing that it's actually the NSW Rural Fire Service who would be sent to this type of incident.
While it only took a few minutes for Station Officer Poulos to ring triple-0 on the caller's behalf to report the fire, minutes can matter, especially a house fire.
"It only takes a couple of minutes to go from a room [fire] up into the roof and then it can destroy a house," he said.
Always call triple-0 in an emergency, for information about winter fire safety or other services provided by firefighters visit Fire and Rescue NSW or the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
